Various Weapon Mod Ideas

First off: Lasercats. Falcon Punch. 'Nuff said.

More seriously, though, weapons will be incredibly important in Starbound. Random weapons are a fantastic way to have constant variety and give each player unique experiences. Having said that, I would like to suggest some additional Mods that these guns could possibly have.

Some of the mods can be layered with almost anything, some can only be layered with damage type and debuff mods, and others are probably too unique to be found with other mods attached. Obviously I will not need to cover the most obvious traits like bouncing off walls, exploding shots, shotgun spreads, and so on.

1.) Reversed Knockback -- Instead of knocking the enemy away with each hit, the blast pulls the enemy towards you using small implosions. When the projectile hits something, it implodes and sucks any nearby objects towards the center because of the vacuum effect. This would be very useful for battle field control. You could help allies by drawing enemies away or pulling them into hazards. You could also combine this with melee attacks so that your enemies can not escape!

2.) Delayed Missile -- Fires a basic missile (no mods) straight towards your mouse point, then that missile opens up and launches a secondary missile with latent properties in mid-flight. If you used a delayed missile with a homing mod, you could fire it straight over the wall your opponent is using for cover, then it would launch the secondary homing missile that would lock onto the target from behind cover. If you used a delayed missile with an explosive mod, you wouldn't have to worry about damaging yourself in the explosion if the target was too close. If you used a delayed splitting/bouncing missile, then you could fire it straight through the enemy's window, then watch as it splits and bounces all over the wall inside the room. This one has pros and cons, so it would probably not increase the rarity of the weapon. The distance for the delay could be variable as well.

3.) Residual Hazards -- Leaves behind hazards (flames/acid/etc...) on the tiles it hits, forming short-term obstacles every time you miss. Setting the field on fire when you have immunity to thermal damage could be a great advantage against unprepared enemies. Sweep your flamethrower over the area or launch a napalm missile to make your enemies think twice about coming close. For different types of weapons, the mod could be named for the type of hazard it leaves (napalm, acid, etc...).

4.) Slow Projectiles -- Normally an unhelpful attribute that makes it hard to aim, the benefit is that you have bonus damage and it can also work well with other mods. This type of weapon could be really good for defense in close quarters, but is less effective at long range against mobile targets. The projectile itself could look like a big ball of energy that slowly floats forwards. When paired with other mods it can become a powerful defense in close quarters. A slow, piercing, bouncing projectile is basically the same as the Water Bolt, one of my favorite weapons from Terraria because the projectiles can be layered up for much higher DPS.

5.) Passwall Shots -- The shots pass through walls, like the Wave Beam in Metroid, or the Vilethorn in Terraria. It would need drawbacks, of course, but the Vilethorn was useless against anything with decent defense. I suspect that random stats would help fix this problem, but my concern remains. Instead of just lower damage, higher energy costs and lower rates of fire could be used to balance the weapon. Also, the unusual path of the Wave Beam would be really fun to have as well.

6.) Rays or Beams -- Generates a line of a certain length, damaging all targets along that line. In a way it is similar to a Piercing mod. It effectively hits any number of foes, but the length of the line might not be as long as the range of other weapons. It shouldn't pass through walls unless it also has the Passwall Shots mod. My hope is that at higher tiers, the line becomes longer so that the weapon can eventually hit enemies across the whole screen, unlike the Flamethrower or Aqua Scepter in Terraria.

7.) Force Field Gun -- Creates a temporary block where you aimed, which you can use to stop attacks or stand on, basically like the Ice Rod in Terraria. I've seen Tiy use a gun that produces clouds that can be stepped on, but it really doesn't seem the same due to how that weapon worked. This one would be one of the best weapons for battle field control. It would have enormous utility functions and is probably useful enough to be high-tier-only, or have very high energy costs to balance it.

8.) DA Fuze / VT Fuze / RD Fuze -- Determines the conditions for explosive weapons activation. DA stands for Direct Action, meaning the projectile explodes as soon as it hits something. VT stands for Variable Timing, meaning that the projectile explodes after a specific amount of time, sticking into the target or bouncing around until it explodes. RD stands for Remote Detonation, meaning the projectile explodes when you click a second time, giving you a little extra control. These would be useful on both Explosive weapons and Shrapnel weapons, because they both work in similar ways.

9.) Acceleration -- The projectile flies faster and deals more damage over time. When you first fire the weapon, the projectile is slow and deals little damage, but quickly gains power and speed until it becomes very deadly. This would work best with a scope so that you can fire from further away, and you would have to predict the movement of your targets. It would be a lot like a sniper rifle, only more difficult to use and with greater damage than a typical one.

10.) Chain Lightning -- Automatically hits the nearest target, then jumps to the next target, then the next. With each jump, the range and damage on the attack is cut in half. Also, because the weapon automatically hits the nearest target, it would need lower range and damage to be balanced. The theme could be iterated as a swarm of insects or nanites that burrow through the target before leaping to the next.

11.) Pheromone Goo -- Marks the foe, attracting a swarm of deadly critters to attack them. It soaks the foe in chemicals instead of dealing damage, inflicting a debuff. Then it releases a bunch of angry killer bees that swarm the nearest target that is soaked in the goo. To remove the goo, the enemy has to wash it off by jumping in water, or it could dissipate naturally over time. Instead of living creatures, the gun could fire nanites or something, if biological weapons are a no-go.

12.) Crawling Shots -- When the shot hits the ground, it continues to slide and hits the first obstacle it comes across. In the Mega Man series, the Bubble Lead and Search Snake special weapons work exactly the way I imagine this would. Perhaps there could be a more advanced mod that allows the bombs to slide up walls as well, but the basic mod would only work going downhill or on flat surfaces. +Could be stacked with Homing Shots to get a bunch of these things rolling all over, chasing down the enemy.

13.) Kinetic Bombs -- Gathers kinetic energy as it bounces off the terrain, dealing more damage with each additional bounce. Requires a bouncing projectile. Direct attacks would deal much less damage, while skillful attacks from clever angles are rewarded. Certain Explosive Fuze mods might make this easier to use, as would a Piercing mod. The number of bounces should be limited, so that after a certain number of bounces the weapon does not gain further damage. Credit goes to mp5a3z for this clever idea.

14.) Reversed Arc -- The effect of gravity is inverted on this weapon, causing the projectile to arc upwards and away from the ground. As an alternative, the projectiles that are fired upwards could curve down, while projectiles fired downwards curve up. That way you could get the best of both attributes.

15.) Split Bounce -- A single projectile that hits a surface, then splits into several more as it bounces back in the other direction. This weapon would only bounce once instead of multiple times, and is very similar to the Shotgun Ice special weapon from Mega Man X. This could be useful for getting around cover, but could be difficult to aim in certain situations. The direct hit might deal more damage, but the spread compensates for aiming difficulty that is involved with Bouncing.

16.) Drones (Auto / Remote) -- Launches out a drone that automatically targets the nearest foe, or fires in the direction you specify remotely. The automatic version is very easy to use and adjusts its aim to track the nearest foe. The remote version offers more versatility and control by allowing you to click a second time to determine which direction the drone should fire. Both types of drones would only fire a few shots or last a matter of seconds before returning to the user. The shots the drones fire can have additional mods, allowing you to have a lot of variety, as well. These drones would require a great deal of energy, but they would make excellent high tier weapons for those who enjoy indirect combat and specialize in battle field control. Credit goes to SpaceKGreen for the original Remote Drone Blasters thread.

1.) Returning Throw -- Flies out to a certain distance, then the weapon flies back to your hand. This would be like the Flails or Boomerangs in Terraria. It could be a hammer, axe, or boomerang that is equipped with sensors and engines so that it can fly back to you. It would be even better if it dealt additional hits if you hit the enemy with the sweet spot right at the edge of the range, like with the cross in Castlevania.

2.) Liquefaction -- Slams the ground so hard that vibrations make the terrain behave like quicksand for just a brief moment. Nearby foes would get stuck in the ground and be immobilized until they manage to free themselves. The debuff could last a set amount of time, or the enemies could free themselves by struggling. This would be a great strategic advantage and gives melee fighters a battle field control option.

3.) Avalanche -- Slams the ground so hard that vibrations cause the ceiling to cave-in for just a brief moment. Damaging debris would fall from random blocks within range if they are exposed from underneath. The attack would be unpredictable, making it harder to dodge, but also harder to hit with. If there are foes beneath you, you could attack them from safety by slamming the ground that lies between you.

4.) Rapid / Continuous -- A combat effective variant of the lawnmower, chainsaw, drill, or some other implement. Pin a foe against a wall and watch the damage fly as they die by a thousand cuts. These weapons would be harder to block and counter with shields, but at the same time they would use up energy. When you need to recharge your energy, the foe can counter attack for tremendous damage. These weapons also need to have little or no knockback, or it would be very hard to get multiple hits.

5.) Siphon Energy -- When you connect with a blow that deals damage, vibrations along the blade are absorbed as kinetic energy to quickly refuel your battery pack. The energy recovery would be based on the amount of damage you deal. This could be useful for hybrid melee/ranged characters who need the energy for ranged weapons but also need to give up energy boosting equipment for much needed defenses for melee combat.

6.) Wave Blade / Lance -- With a slash of this weapon, ultrasonic waves create a blade of compressed force that is propelled outwards. The weapon itself deals melee damage even though the blade is sent out at the foe like a projectile because the force of the attack depends on how the wielder swings it. The arc of the blade hits a fairly wide area and will pierce multiple foes, but doesn't have enough extra range to be used from a great distance. The lance version would lack the wide attack area but gain advantages in range and damage.

7.) Jousting -- This weapon is designed to take advantage of the movement and power of your mount. While riding on some form of mount that still allows regular weapon combat, your total movement speed acts as a multiplier for both your damage and knockback. If your mount moves at triple your normal speed, you deal tripled damage and knockback, for example. This would only be practical in open spaces where you can actually move at top speeds though, since you only get the bonus damage while you are moving faster than normal.

1.) Proximity Mines -- Activated when something is nearby instead of being stepped on. This could work several different ways. It could start a short timer to allow the foe to react and minimize damage. It could fly up a few blocks high and explode in the air. Perhaps it could even be activated only when players use weapons nearby. This would make them much more fun to play with, and traps are usually not very powerful so they could use a boost. Imagine a mine with a short timer that also has reversed knockback-- If the enemy tries to stay away they get pulled in, and if they try to get close they get pulled back!

2.) Super Shields -- Absorb attacks that normally bypass shields. Basically, the most powerful defensive shields that you only find in the end game which can even block rocket launchers and gravity hammers. Bonus points if you can throw it like a boomerang while looking very patriotic. Anyway, hopefully there are enough other shield mods available by the end game that this would not automatically be the best choice.

3.) Reflective Shields -- Bounce back certain projectiles. This would also be very powerful, even if the shield only reflected ballistic or energy shots and not both. At any rate, melee weapons would work normally against this type of shield. Ranged weapons that pierce shields could also bypass this effect, because they might ignore the whole shield. This probably should only be available in late game scenarios because you could potentially bounce an attack AND get in counter attack damage boosts.

 

I like these ideas but more melee would be an option since the most weapons we have seen is all of the procedurally generated guns

 

Well when I think of melee, I think of swinging a boring old sword. You can change its appearance and size, even set it on fire, but in the end that isn't much to write home about. Guns can split, bounce, spiral, explode, and so much more. I normally prefer magic in other sorts of games for this very reason-- Wizards can do so much more than Fighters can.
That said, I don't see why there can't be some good variety in melee weapons. From a game design perspective, there is little reason why they wouldn't be able to inflict all of the same debuffs that guns or space magic could. Likewise, statistics like knock back or critical chance would be just as variable. On those alone you can have a lot of variety.
However, my intention was to add new ways the weapons fire, not to add specific weapons. I think my approach could also be applied to melee weapons, though. Lemme think here... Obviously, there will be swords that arc over the player, and daggers or spears that are thrust straight outwards. If they include whips or flails, it might be cool if you could spin them around you like Nathan Graves in Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. Here is a video of that, for those who don't know what I mean:
(He spins the whip at 1:08)
Other that that, pretty much every melee weapon I can think of is just "whack, whack, whack, you die". There are only so many different ways you can package that. An axe. A hammer. A sword. A curvy sword. Maybe his sword curves a different way than mine. But they all sorta work the same way. It would be hard to add much to that without turning Starbound into a fighting game.

 

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Those would be mods. Mods, said tiy, are modifications to the weapons which may even totally change the way it works, such as a flashlight.
I made an thread ( http://community.playstarbound.com/index.php?threads/disarranging-reconstructing-weapons.10977/ ) That speaks about them, and being able to customize your weapons, and would work very well together to this.

 

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As far as melee there should be elemental swords procedural generated.

 

I think the main concerns about melee are due to the fact that anything you can apply to a sword, you can also apply to a gun. I.E.: Debuffs, Elements, Autofire, etc... The whip/flail spin mechanic I mentioned would be something that guns would have a hard time replicating. However, there are way more gun mechanics that melee weapons can not replicate, such as bouncing, splitting, sticking, exploding, bursting, spreading, curving, homing, etc... I am certain that there will still be a lot of variety in melee weapons, but I expect there will be much more variety in ranged weapons.

 

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Thats quiet a good list of affects and attack types, if we see half... no a quarter of these implemented we would be lucky gamers

 

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Yes please.

Magic Missle and the Rainbow Rod were pretty much my favorite spells in Terraria.

In fact, projectiles controllable like they were would be even better, imo.

So many applications for that, from lighting, to support, to scouting.

 

The difference between #34 and the Magic Missile is mostly that #34 allows you to send out multiple slow projectiles at once, along different programmed paths. Magic Missile only sends out one controllable projectile at a time. Also, Magic Missile requires you to drag the mouse along the path you want. Clicking out points to form a path is faster and easier. For these reasons I'd prefer #34, but to each their own. More variety between weapons it the most important thing.

 

Oh, I understand the difference. It just reminded me of those spells is all.

 

Man, great ideas...... love all the ranged weapons especially, they're so much funner then melee

Lasercats. Yes. Also here for number 10, an idea I had a while ago for a icer-rod-gun thing. Because who doesn't want a shotgun that shoots ice blocks?

 

seems like a great idea, I can't wait to have a piercing laser sniper rifle

 

I Like this idea alot

 

I call upon the unholy powers of forum necromancy to restore this thread to an unwanted place among the living! Bwahahahaha!

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I like the idea but I'm personally not a ranged player. I use Spears if I can and if not swords (2H) so this wouldn't apply to me.